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SELECT LIST OF BOOKS RECENTLY PUBLISHED,

CHIEFLY RELIGIOUS,

With Characteristic Notices.

[The insertion of any article in this List is not to be considered as pledging us to the approbation of its contents, unless it be accompanied by some express notice of our favourable opinion. Nor is the omission of any such notice to be regarded as indicating a contrary opinion; as our limits, and other reasons, impose on us the necessity of selection and brevity.]

Temporis Calendarium: or, an Almanac for the Year of our Lord 1845; being the first after Bissextile, or Leap Year, and the ninth of the Reign of Her present Majesty. By William Rogerson, Greenwich, Kent. The Twenty-Fifth Annual Impression. 12mo. pp. 48. Mason. We are glad to find that this most comprehensive and useful Almanac maintains its well-earned popularity. The merchant and agriculturist will not fail to find in it a valuable companion, whether in the countinghouse, or at the fire-side, for purposes of counsel and instruction.

The great Efficacy of simple Faith in the Atonement of Christ, exemplified in a Memoir of Mr. William Carvosso, sixty Years a Class-Leader in the Wesleyan-Methodist Connexion. Written by himself, and edited by his Son. An abridged Edition. 18mo. pp. 180.

Mason. The first edition of this Memoir has had a very extensive circulation about fourteen thousand having been disposed of in England, and probably not fewer on the continent of America. This abridgment is intended for the use of schools, and for that class of persons whom the price of the original work prevented from possessing it.

A Funeral Sermon occasioned by the Death of the Rev. Henry Moore, preached in City-Road Chapel, London, May 30th, 1844. By the Rev. Jacob Stanley. 12mo. pp. 36. Mason. -At the request of the late President of the Conference, in which the Executors of the late Mr. Moore cordially concurred, Mr. Stanley, on account of his long and intimate acquaintance with the deceased, was desired to undertake the duty of preaching what is technically termed "the Funeral Sermon." This task Mr. Stanley has accomplished in a manner as creditable to himself, as it is honourable to the memory of the departed. The sketch of the early and religious character of Mr. Moore, ap

pended to the discourse, is confessedly one of the best that has been written.

Memoir of Eliza Coultas, Daughter of the Rev. W. Coultas, Wesleyan Minister. 12mo. pp. 50. Mason.An instructive statement, which we can cordially recommend; being adapted for extensive usefulness to young persons generally, by impressing upon their minds the uncertainty and brevity of life, and the paramount necessity of a timely and saving acquaintance with God.

Memoirs of Mrs. Mary Cullen, Wife of the Rev. John Cullen, Wesleyan Minister. 12mo. pp. 53. Mason.-A brief but affecting record of the life and death of a most exemplary character, whether we view her in the relation of a daughter, a wife, or a mother, in each of which she adorned the Gospel of God her Saviour. All who peruse this document with a desire for edification, will not fail to obtain it.

The Opinions of the Rev. John Wesley in reference to the Relation which Methodism sustains to the Established Church, fully and fairly stated; and its present Ecclesiastical Position vindicated. By Corbet Cooke. 12mo. pp. 51. Exeter. A truth-telling pamphlet; and worthy of an extensive circulation in those parts of the country where attempts are being made to entice the members of the Wesleyan church to forsake her services, and attend those of the Establishment. Mr. Cooke deals with his subject in a plain way, so that the humble villager, and the romantic young gentleman filling the office of Curate of the parish, may equally understand him. The tract has our hearty approval.

Memoirs of Mrs. Gibson, late of Newcastle-upon-Tyne: including Selections from her Correspondence. By Francis A. West. Second Edition, revised. 12mo. pp. x, 318. Hamilton and Co. We are highly gratified at the appearance of a second edition of this

most instructive piece of Christian female biography, and see no reason for altering the opinion which we gave of this volume when it first emanated from the press. Mrs. Gibson possessed a mind of high intellectual order; her piety was deep and extensive; and her conduct was in harmony with both; so that we can cordially recommend the serious perusal of these Memoirs to all connected with the church of Christ, but principally to the female portion thereof, and especially to the Christian wife and mother.

The Heavenly State: α Sermon preached in Wesley-Chapel, Halifax, on Sunday, May 12th, 1844, on occasion of the Death of the Rev. Henry Moore. By Samuel Dunn. 12mo. pp. 28. Snow. Mr. Dunn, in this discourse, recognises the goodness of God in the adaptation of heaven to the nature, capacities, and necessities of human beings, whom he considers as corporeal, moral, intellectual, social, active, and immortal beings; in which discussion he displays much theological knowledge and piety. The sketch of Mr. Moore's life that is appended to the Sermon, is valuable on account of the record it contains of his former hostility to public Meetings for Missionary purposes, and the subsequent change which his mind underwent on that subject. At one of the annual assemblies of the Missionary Society, in the City-road chapel, April 27th, 1822, Mr. Moore observed, that while the blessings and glories of evangelical truth had been passing before his eyes, during the addresses delivered by preceding speakers, he had really felt, with great force, that it was good to be there. He had usually been afraid of public Meetings, except those to which he was called for the purpose of preaching the word of God; but he recollected what happened to Mr. Brainerd, a name that could never be mentioned without honour. In the wilds of America he once met with a savage, so called, who at first terrified him, but afterwards gave him great comfort. This was the only savage, as well as he recollected, who ever frightened Brainerd; yet so it was; the Missionary was, for once, afraid when the man first came forward; but, on entering into conversation with him, he was astonished and delighted to find that this was a man who had been speaking to his own people about God, the Great Spirit, and striving to persuade them to forsake their sins; and who, when he could not do that, had run into the woods to weep, on account of the vices and obstinacy of his

countrymen. Mr. Moore confessed, that, like Brainerd, he was formerly afraid of those public Meetings; but, upon being present to-day, he was of the same mind to which Brainerd was brought in the sequel; namely, that "GOD WAS IN THIS PLACE, AND I KNEW IT NOT."

A Commentary on the First Chapter of Genesis; in which an Attempt is made to present that beautiful and orderly Narrative in its true Light. To which are added, A short Treatise on Geology, showing that the Facts asserted by Moses not only agree with, but corroborate, geological Facts, illustrated by Sketches. A short Treatise on the Deluge, showing, from scriptural and geological Facts, the Cause of that Catastrophe. By Thomas Exley, M. A. 8ro. pp. xvi, 161. Hamilton and Co.-We have examined the contents of this very pleasing volume with considerable interest. It displays much originality of thought, and an evident desire to submit all human reasoning to the great touchstone of divine revelation. There are a few positions taken by Mr. Exley from which we should attempt to drive him, did our space allow; but these are so few as not in any degree to injure the character of the work itself, which is worthy of the thoughtful examination of every biblical student.

The Death of Wesley. By Marshall Claxton, Esq.-We have been much interested in contemplating this splendid engraving as a work of skill, it reflects great credit upon the artist, and will not fail to be duly appreciated by the Wesleyan Methodists of the present day; and especially by those whose ancestors were acquainted with the venerable Founder of Methodism, or who had witnessed that great revival of religion in which Mr. Wesley took so prominent a part, when it was comparatively in its infancy. We congratulate Mr. Claxton on the beautiful manner in which the engraver has accomplished his task; and hope that it will receive hearty support, and an extensive circulation.

The Rev. John Waterhouse, of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, superintending the Landing of the Missionary, the Rev. Charles Creed, with his Wife, at Taranaki, New-Zealand.This truly beautiful picture is printed in oil-colours, and published by Mr. Baxter, the patentee of oil-colour printing. The scene which is attempted to be described is taken from the Wesleyan Missionary Notices, and is thus detailed: "Our reception among the natives was very

encouraging. As soon as Mrs. Creed approached the shore, in the boat, they began to cry out, Emata! Emata! that is, 'O mother! O mother!' and seven females immediately ran into the sea, up to their shoulders, caught her up in their arms, and carried her on shore, where she was welcomed by all in the most expressive manner." The artist has been happy in the likeness which he has given of Mr. Waterhouse: this fact adds materially to the value of the whole; and we cannot but think that all the friends of that lamented Missionary, who can afford to purchase the picture, will avail themselves of this opportunity of being put in possession of a portrait of a valued friend and devoted Minister in the midst of his Missionary duties.

Observations in Europe; principally in France and Great Britain. By John P. Durbin, D. D., President of Dickenson College. In two Volumes, 8vo. pp. xii, 308; vii, 312. Wiley and Putnam. The expectations in which we indulged, when the publication of these volumes was announced, were not of a high order; knowing that works on Europe which emanate from the transatlantic press, are very far from affording either instruction or amusement to their readers on this side of the Atlantic; not because of the claims to national superiority which the Americans are constantly making, their ignorance and dogmatism in treating of the institutions of their fatherland, or the bitter animosity which they manifest when their republicanism is assailed; but solely on account of the miserable absence of talent which almost without exception characterizes their books of travel, and notoriously distinguishes them from those of any other country in the world. We regret to be compelled to place this work of Dr. Durbin in the same category. As a literary production, it is by no means creditable to the University of which our tourist sustains the office of President the composition is puerile and careless; the facts which are stated are vapid, descending even to twaddle; for instance, that the waiters at the hotels and cafés had difficulty in understanding his French! (at this we are not sur prised, if the specimens given on the pages of the work are to be considered examples of the Doctor's acquaintance with that language;) that he found it impossible to realize the holy day on the first Sabbath he spent in Paris, so that after preaching in the Wesleyan chapel in the forenoon, and attending divine worship in the evening, he "determined

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to see the way in which the Parisians spend the Sunday evening;" and "strolling down the Rue Royale to the spacious Place de la Concorde, I plunged,” says he, "into the crowds which rolled in vast tides through the place westward into the Champs Elysées, and followed the avenue towards the triumphal arch." We deeply deplore the appearance of this paragraph, and sincerely hope that Dr. Durbin, should another edition of this work be demanded, will see it necessary to remove it entirely from his pages. The licentious habits of the Parisians on the Lord's day are sufficiently notorious, and need not any additional testimony to corroborate the fact. The rigid sanctity of the Sabbath is commanded by holy writ; and Christians are enjoined to abstain even from the appearance of evil. We are informed with regard to the regalia in the Tower, that it is doubtful whether all be gold or real diamonds that glitter there;-then of some rigmarole story of our Queen Victoria manifesting symptoms of anger at the House of Commons refusing a grant of £50,000 to her royal consort, and allowing only £30,000 ; and that, "since the birth of a Prince of Wales, and some Princesses, Prince Albert has received an additional allowance, which, together with his appointments as Field Marshal, &c., amount to £50,000 a year." Pity it is that Dr. Durbin has given no further information on this subject, that we might investigate how this enlarged income has been granted without any other person than himself having any knowledge of it! On the subject of the battle of Waterloo the learned Doctor is really amusing; although the achievement of that victory by the allies is an event which he laments in a manner truly lugubrious. He spent a day upon the field of Waterloo, and carefully inspected the ground in company with an actor in the struggle, who was probably one of those guides who are ever on the alert, in the immediate neighbourhood, to conduct strangers over the ensanguined grounds, and whose statements are as varied as the countries from whence the visiters have wandered. Be that as it may, the Doctor attempts to demonstrate that the British lost the battle, and were only saved from utter annihilation by the Prussians. The accounts in circulation of this battle, Dr. Durbin tells us, "are derived from British sources; and we know too well, from the official statements of British officers and the accounts of British historians in (with)

regard to affairs of the American wars, how little reliance is generally to be placed upon them. British Tory writers never did, and never will, (!) do justice either to France or America." The President of Dickenson College, therefore, comes forward to settle the disputed question, who were really the victors in this strife; and so satisfactorily has he accomplished his task, in the estimation of his American brethren, that a somewhat widely circulated paper in the United States actually congratulates the Rev. Doctor for having set the question for ever at rest! We are old enough to remember that conflict when it took place, and have not been ignorant of what has been written with reference to its issue since that period. Dr. Durbin is not the only individual who has attempted to pluck the laurels from the brow of Great Britain with regard to this crowning fight. French writers, from Napoleon himself, down to the latest scribbler in the Journal des Débats, tell us that the allies, from first to last, had the worst of the controversy; that Wellington and Blucher were out-generalled, surprised, and beaten; and that their escape from total annihilation is a mys. tery!

The Belgians, who ran away from the battle by whole regiments at a time, declare that they, and not the English, won the battle of Waterloo through the indomitable courage of their soldiery, that rendered the generalship of Napoleon of no avail! The Dutch dispute this point with the Belgians, and contend that it was the brigade of Bylandt which, by checking the advance of Ney at QuatreBras, saved the rest of the allied army from being cut to pieces. The insinuations of Clausewitz, which have been copied by Alison, in his "History of Europe," have been most satisfactorily refuted. He must be a bold and a clever person, who ventures to argue that a campaign was unwisely conducted, which led to the greatest victory in modern times, and which terminated a war within three days! For this task, Dr. Durbin certainly is not the man. It is a notorious fact, that before the Prussians fired a musket, except at Planchenoit, the French had made their last attack, and failed. If the Prussians had not come up, the enemy might have rallied, and retreated in tolerable order; but that they would have renewed the struggle, nobody will assert. The Duke of Wellington, in his Despatch written a few hours after the close of the battle, describing how the French came on,-now with the infantry, now with the cavalry,

and then with both arms combined,— observes, "These attacks were repeated till about seven in the evening, when the enemy made a desperate effort with cavalry and infantry, supported by the fire of artillery, to force our left centre, near the farm of La Haye Sainte, which, after a severe contest, was defeated: and having observed that their troops retired from this attack in great confusion, and that the march of General Bulow's corps, by Treschemont, upon Planchenoit and La Belle Alliance, had begun to take effect; and as I could perceive the fire of his cannon; and as Marshal Prince Blucher had joined, in person, with a corps of his army to the left of our line, by Ohain; I determined to attack the enemy, and immediately advanced the whole line of infantry, supported by the cavalry and artillery. The attack succeeded in every point; the enemy was forced from their positions on the heights, and fled in the utmost confusion; leaving behind them, as far as I could judge, one hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, which, with the ammunition, fell into our hands. I continued the pursuit till long after dark, and then discontinued it only on account of the fatigue of our troops, who had been engaged during twelve hours, and because I found myself on the same road with Marshal Blucher, who assured me of his intention to follow the enemy throughout the night." From these invaluable documents, the Despatches of the Duke of Wellington, which, in all probability, Dr. Durbin has never seen, it is evident that when the advance was made, the most forward of the Prussian troops was at a considerable distance from the battlefield, and entangled amidst the defiles that interpose between Treschemont and Planchenoit. Blucher was in the vicinity of Ohain, and not by any means contributing directly to the overthrow of the enemy. The noble Duke having repulsed the French about seven o'clock, and made his own grand attack before eight, he continued the pursuit, unaided by the Prussians, "till long after dark," and then only found himself on the same road with the Prussians. While we have no sympathy whatever with Dr. Durbin in his bitter wailings and invectives on the battle of Waterloo having been lost to the French, inasmuch as a very severe blow was given to a republican Government which he highly esteems, we hope that when he again resumes his pen, to settle intricate questions relating to battle-fields, military tactics, and the comparative merits of

General Officers,-subjects upon which far wiser and more experienced heads than his or ours have been employed, he will display greater acquaintance with the general history of the time, than this volume gives him credit to possess. The second volume contains an account of our tourist's visit to Great Britain and Ireland; through which he passed with a rapid, railway haste; and then, on his return to Dickenson College, writes a book which professes to treat of our laws, our constitution, our state, our history, and our prospects, We are by no means angry, or even surprised, that Dr. Durbin should profess to find our country so infinitely inferior to his own; that the Mississipi is wider than the Thames at London-bridge; that the American Senate, in point of talent, is far superior to the English House of Lords; that the monarchical Government of England is a very expensive sort of thing; that the splendid domains and residences of the nobility and gentry of Britain have been squeezed from the labour and blood of the starving poor by whom they are surrounded, a statement which might be indignantly refuted: but has our benevolent Doctor forgotten the horrid system of American slavery, which is supported and fostered even by members of his own Christian community? situation of the poor in this country, and that of the slaves in America, will not bear a contrast; the latter being sunk into the lowest state of moral and men. tal degradation, through the cupidity and rapacity, the cruelty and brutality, of the owners! Two chapters are occupied with a description of the present state and prospects of Wesleyan Methodism in England; and, notwithstanding numerous inaccuracies which, considering the rapidity of the Doctor's movements, and the variety of sources from whence he sought information, were probably unavoidable, reflects credit on the benevolence and sincerity of his heart. Our risible muscles, however, were not a little excited, when our author, speaking of the Wesleyan Ministers assembled in Conference, observes, that he could see "the stamp of genius upon hardly a single face or form." A writer in the New-York Methodist Quarterly Review, somewhat fearful lest the President of Dickenson College may have gone a little too far, advances to the rescue, and assures us, that "Dr. Durbin sat upon the platform, and looked down upon the body of Preachers' in the seats below, thus excluding from his range of vision most of

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the great leaders of the Connexion, the Buntings, the Newtons, the Hannahs, the Dixons, &c.; and perhaps, too, at so great a distance, he could not distinguish the stamp of genius' upon many a face that bore it." Be this as it may, we certainly shall not descend into the arena for the purpose of contesting this point with the author of these "Observations in Europe," &c. With regard to the future operations of Wesleyan Methodism, President Durbin seems to imagine, from what he observed during his interviews with that body in England, that the Wesleyans will, ere long, join the Dissenters in their crusade against the Church of England, and be brought "into direct and palpable collision" with it. The New-York "Methodist Quarterly Review " expresses a hope, that the English Methodists will not be induced, by any antipathy to Dissent, or any fear of republicanism, to uphold much longer the tottering fabric of the established Church of England; and that the day is not far distant when the Establishment will find the whole noble army of English Methodists in array against her. With these sentiments we cannot sympathize, however loudly they may be hailed by the political Dissenter. Our author concludes, that because the President of the Sheffield Conference, in his official sermon, recognised the Wesleyan body as a true and proper church, and because in reading the liturgical service the words "Bishops and Curates" were omitted, and "Ministers" substituted, there was at length a solemn assumption of the fact, that "Methodist Ministers are Ministers of God," and that the Wesleyan church is a branch of the church of Christ! Now these are points which the Wesleyan has never in the abstract disputed, inasmuch as Mr. Wesley recognised in Methodism all the functions of a Christian church; and the changes which have been occasionally introduced into the Wesleyan system, have only been an exemplification of Mr. Wesley's principles. Dr. Durbin is also vastly mistaken if he judge, that because Puseyism is nestled in the bosom of the Establishment, because attempts have been made to bring all the children of the manufacturing and labouring classes under the exclusive instruction of her Clergy, and because from many the Wesleyan Ministers have received persecution and scorn, the Methodists, therefore, consider themselves justified in joining with her adversaries in their attempts to effect her destruction: and

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